Warren Hayden

The land of make believe. That might make you think of the famous Bucks Fizz song.

But I’m not talking about the 1980s’ number one hit. I’m talking about the place you visit as a child using just your imagination.

Remember that magical time when life was as simple as it will ever be? The time when no friends were needed, no toys were needed, just you and your wandering mind.

It’s ironic that when we are children it is the adult world that we look up to and want to connect with, but once we become adults it is the wondrous world of being a child that we miss and would like to relive.

For me as a shy seven-year-old, dressing up in my new Superman outfit I’d been given as a Christmas present made me feel like I could save the world from any disaster.

In fact as soon as I put that suit on I thought I was a real superhero just like in the movies, especially when the cape was clipped on to my back and I’d run around the house pretending I could fly.

Of course, at just seven years old there was no way I’d be of any assistance at any world disaster and I’m pretty certain that to this day no human being has ever managed to defy gravity and take off into the air like a bird.

But using my imagination these things were well and truly possible, if only in my own young mind.

These days there are hundreds of activities my children can take part in, like going to the local park and playing on the slides and swings or playing hide and seek around the house or maybe simply playing catch with a ball in the garden.

But I like to watch my two daughters playing and having fun without props and without toys and simply using their imaginations.

Sometimes I’ll be sitting on the sofa in our living room and I’ll hear Caitlin and Alyssa in their bedroom playing shops.

One of them will be the customer, the other the shopkeeper and they’ll put their pretend groceries into their pretend basket and take it to their pretend checkout.

This will usually keep them occupied for an hour and sometimes longer.

Then they might move on to playing teachers.

Once again, no props but a pretend register, pretend blackboard and even pretend classmates.

It is fascinating to watch.

Sometimes I’m invited to join in the fun and will be allocated a role.

I have to admit, I like entering the land of make believe and I advise anyone with children to go there as much as possible.

But don’t forget the golden rule, leave the phone outside. It kind of breaks the illusion.

Who lost the end of the Sellotape?

What goes missing in your home? I suspect most of the time it might be a sock that you are sure was part of a pair when you put it in the washing machine.

Or maybe it’s the remote control to your television that has somehow disappeared and you have the inconvenience of actually using the buttons on the TV for a change.

But in my house, it is neither of these things that seems to go astray.

I’ve got two daughters who like to be creative. Making posters, sticking things together, covering stuff with glitter. But it seems the Sellotape can never be found when I need it.

When I’m downstairs and my daughters are upstairs being inventive with their arts and crafts kit I can hear the noise of the Sellotape being torn. But later when I go to retrieve it, it appears to be lost.

On the odd occasion I do find it, my instruction has been ignored to fold over the end so I can easily find the edge of the roll.